


Back on the Carousel

by Nadja_Lee



Series: Let's Talk About Alec [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Abused Alec Lightwood, Abusive Parents, Agony Rune, Alec Lightwood-centric, Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Caning, Child Abuse, Complicated Relationships, Corporal Punishment, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Homophobia, Hurt, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Pain, Post-Episode: s01e12 Malec, Prince of Hell Magnus Bane, Protective Magnus Bane, Punishment, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:00:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22550623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadja_Lee/pseuds/Nadja_Lee
Summary: Alec has a “talk” with his parents after he came out at his own wedding, in front of high-ranking Clave officials. Someone needs to pay for the humiliation caused to the Lightwood name and that someone is Alec of course. Unknown to Alec, when he comes back out again Magnus notices the change in him and makes plans of his own.Part 3 of the Let's talk about Alec series which details child abuse and how to recover from it to find love and happiness.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Let's Talk About Alec [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1606735
Comments: 55
Kudos: 1210





	Back on the Carousel

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to Cindy for great beta as always.  
> Chapter warnings: Child abuse, verbal abuse, caning, racism towards Downworlders, homophobic language, emotional manipulation, mention of use of the Agony rune as punishment

**Please read chapter notes for detailed warnings. Read ALL the tags and warnings before reading this story (or any story for that matter!) and read and enjoy if this is the type of story for you. Otherwise find something else to spend your free time on.**

Thanks so much to Regina Danica Villa Bibit for the amazing series banner.  


# Back on the Carousel

Maryse and Robert had briskly ordered Alec to follow them into the office for the head of the Institute after the wedding fiasco. Alec had obediently went with them, encouraged by Magnus’ warm and encouraging smile.

Alec tried not to show how nervous he was, how worried he was. He knew he had broken every rule in the book by kissing Magnus at his own wedding and bailing out on the wedding all together, leaving his bride at the altar. Never mind she had been ok with it; it was a disgrace in every sense of the word. Magnus was a man and a Downworlder. More than that; he was a Warlock – a race of Downworlders most Shadowhunters hated the most as they always had one demonic parent, making them the Downworlder race with the most demon blood in them of all.

The walk to the office seemed unusually long and the silence was deafening. Finally, they made it there after what felt like hours but had only been minutes.

“Yes, ma’am?” Alec asked as he came to a stop in the middle of the office, fighting to stay neutral and sound calm, his hands behind his back, clashed together, standing at attending.

He had noticed that his mother had drawn locking and silencing runes on the door after they had entered; that was always a bad sign. Maryse walked around him and came to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly pissed off. Finally alone and in private she could voice just how angry and disappointed she was; they both were. No need to keep up appearances any longer.

“Don’t you yes ma’am me!” Maryse exploded as her hand made contact with his cheek with such force his head flew to the side, leaving his cheek stinging and red. “You know very well what we want to talk with you about!”

Alec fought to keep his hands behind his back, forcing his nails painfully into his palms to let the pain ground him.

“Alexander, we raised you better than this,” Robert said disapprovingly, his anger as always calculated, controlled and icy.

Robert had remained a bit to the side, letting Maryse as always dictate the course of the conversation and how this was going to go.

“You embarrassed us in front of high ranking Clave members!” Maryse exclaimed, her face a mask of anger, disbelief and disappointment. “You chose this wedding and you walked away from it! You disgraced us!”

This time Alec expected the hit so he managed not to flinch, not much at least, when her hand again smacked against his cheek.

The humiliation and stinging left behind by his mother’s hits had Alec’s cheeks darken and he fought to keep eye contact, biting his lower lip nervously.

“I’m…Sorry,” he said slowly, unsure what else to say, his voice low and weak even to his own ears, his eyes going to the floor.

“Sorry? You’re sorry?!” Maryse said mockingly. She turned to look at her husband who had crossed his arms and was looking at the display with cold interest. “He’s sorry, Robert. Isn’t **that** refreshing?!”

“Alexander, why would you do this? You must have known there would be consequences,” Robert said disappointed, his voice echoing off the walls.

Alec bit his lower lip until he tasted blood, feeling horrible for having disappointed his parents and having put them in this situation.

“Yes, I know, father, but…” he paused before he added, unsure how to explain it. He hadn’t been thinking, he had just acted, he had just done what had felt natural, normal.

At the end Alec said lamely, his voice shaky and uncertain, “I had to follow my heart.”

“What does following your heart have to do with marriage?” Maryse said condescendingly. “Shadowhunter families of our standing marry for power, influence and connections. We don’t marry for love!”

“It would not have been fair to Lydia,” Alec protested, his voice a bit stronger now since he was talking for someone else and not fighting for himself.

Alec had always had an easier time standing up for others; he wasn’t sure he knew how to stand up for himself. Not really at least.

“Or not fair to you, you mean?” Robert questioned in a knowing and hard voice, a hint of disapproval in his words.

Alec blushed, feeling like he had been called selfish and he guess he had; he guessed he had been selfish.

“Yes,” he acknowledged, his voice soft, having to lower his gaze to the floor in shame as he saw the hurt and displeasure in his father’s eyes.

“Who cares if it’s fair? It is how it is done!” Maryse snapped angrily.

“We will have to show the Clave we have dealt with this defiance,” Robert said matter of fact, looking at Maryse for input on that.

“Yes, I know,” Maryse agreed darkly. She stood up straighter and gave Alec a piercing look.

“For the offences committed against the Clave and the laws of Idris I order you to use the Agony Rune for five hours, **both** aspects of it. I shall clear your schedule for 1 day and 1 day **only** following the punishment!” Maryse said menacingly, a clear warning in her voice.

Alec sank. Five hours with both the physical and mental torture aspects of the rune. He had never done it that long before. He knew from his research it could be survived; the rune could be used continuously for up to two days without leaving obvious damage. However, the mental torture aspect was well known for leaving the victims increasingly more and more insecure and hesitant, unsure and afraid, as the rune made the victims relive all the worst memories they had and made all their fears become alive and turn into memories, feeling as real as if they had actually taken place. If the rune was used for long enough the victims would be reduced to babbling fools, forever trapped in a hell inside of their own mind. It was known among Shadowhunters as the ‘Fate worse than Edom’s Fire’.

“I…I’m not sure one day will be enough recovery,” Alec said weakly, fighting to meet her eyes, blushing in shame at admitting to this.

“Make it enough,” she ordered coldly. If her son insisted on humiliating her and betraying her like this, the least he could do was grow a spine and man up! She had no use for weakness.

Alec turned white at her words, fighting to control his raising fear. He nodded curtly, fighting to remain calm. He could do it. He had to. Somehow.

“However, that doesn’t resolve the defiance and disgrace you brought to your mother and I personally,” Robert reminded him, his tone controlled but clearly held anger and disapproval.

His words made both Maryse and Alec turn to look at him.

“I…I didn’t mean to,” Alec admitted softly, not sure what else to say.

He hadn’t meant to do anything to them or the Clave or Idris. He had just done what he felt like. He had just acted. For the first time in his life he had done as Magnus had encouraged him to do. He had actually chosen for him. Seeing Magnus standing there at the end of the aisle, knowing it was now or never….he had had to act. He had felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he couldn’t live if he hadn’t done it. He hadn’t thought of the consequences. He hadn’t thought of anything.

“I don’t care!” Maryse almost yelled, her hands forming fists at her side and for a moment Alec thought she would hit him again but she restrained herself.

“I will deal with him, Maryse. You deal with the Clave,” Robert said matter of fact, talking over Alec’s head as if he wasn’t even there, making him blush in embarrassment.

Maryse nodded briskly. “Very well.”

“I…I really never meant to do anything wrong. I just wanted…” Alec started to say, his voice soft, almost pleading.

“What? You just wanted Magnus Bane, the lothario?” Maryse almost spat the words at him, clearly meant as an insult.

“Alexander, his reputation proceeds him,” Robert warned him as he had done before they had done to the office, raising an eyebrow at him, his voice clearly saying he thought Alec was stupid for not realizing this.

“I don’t care,” Alec said stubbornly in a rare and unusual show of defiance.

“You think he cares about **you**? Really?” Maryse taunted.

Her words made Alec’s newfound confidence shrink. Why would Magnus care about him? Magnus was everything he wasn’t. He was beautiful, well-travelled, experienced, flirty, confident…Magnus could have anyone he wanted. Why would he have him? He was nothing. He was nobody.

“I…” Alec mumbled, looking down, his voice dying out, as he didn’t know what to say.

“He just want to try a Shadowhunter. As soon as he has fucked you he will lose interest and you will have lost everything just to have been a Warlock’s plaything,” Maryse said cruelly.

“Magnus isn’t like that,” Alec protested but his voice was wavering. Why would Magnus think differently? He wasn’t anything special after all….

“Really? And you know this how?” Maryse asked disbelieving.

“I….I know him,” Alec said softly, helplessly, unsure what else to say. He knew him….didn’t he? Did he? He had known him for such a short time. Did he really know him at all?

“Do you realize he is known for having had countless lovers? That he is known as the party Prince? That it is said he has had sex in every perceivable way, with basically anything that moves?” Maryse asked callously.

Her harsh words made Alec turn white and his hands behind his back make fists.

“Stop it,” he begged, his eyes and voice pleading, fighting to hold back tears.

It wasn’t true. Was it? Had he sacrificed everything for nothing? It wasn’t true…was it? Why wouldn’t it be though? What could he possibly offer someone as amazing as Magnus?

Maryse started to walk around him in a circle, looking him up and down disapprovingly. Alec forced himself to stand still and look straight ahead.

“And you really think he will be different with you? That **you** are special?” Maryse snared when she stopped in front of him.

“I….I don’t know,” Alec admitted softly, fighting to hold back tears. He wasn’t special. He wasn’t anybody.

“You are **stupid** if you think this will last. He’s immortal, a Warlock. He has had more lovers than there are stars in the heavens. You think he will change for you? That for **you** there will be a happy ever after as you grow old while he stay forever young?” Robert asked coldly, his voice calm and matter of fact, a contrast to his wife’s emotional rage.

“I….” Alec started to say but had to stop, unsure what to say, a lump in his throat.

“You are just a challenge. The virgin Shadowhunter. As soon as he has fucked you he will move on, mark my words,” Maryse warned darkly.

“No. No, he won’t,” Alec insisted but his voice was weak even to his own ears.

Why wouldn’t he? Why would he be special? His mother was right; the only thing special about him was that he would be Magnus’ first virgin Shadowhunter. He wasn’t special otherwise. Magnus deserved someone amazing. Someone special. That wasn’t him.

“Really?” Maryse asked coldly. “It’s true love then?” she added with a raised eyebrow and disbelief pouring off her in waves.

“Well…no. I mean we just met but…” Alec started to say, fighting to explain.

He hadn’t been thinking about all of this. He wasn’t sure what to say. Their words were confusing him. He had been so certain and clear-headed when he had kissed Magnus. The decision had been obvious, his choice clear. He had been convinced he was doing the right thing. He was wavering now. They were right; he wasn’t special. Magnus deserved better.

“So if your father and I threw you out of the Institute he would take you in?” Maryse challenged with a superior smirk on her lips.

“I….I don’t know,” Alec admitted weakly, growing pale at the thought of being thrown out.

He knew nothing of living in the Mundane world; he had never been taught.

“Let me put it like this; you want to stay then you obey. You disobey even **once** and you are out,” Maryse warned darkly. “There’s an interesting Mundane concept called money. You will quickly discover that being good with a bow and arrow will neither feed nor cloth you out there.”

Alec would have gone even paler with fear at the very idea of being thrown out if it was possible.

“Yes…No….I…” Alec stuttered, not finding the words he wanted.

He cursed himself for his weakness; he had thought he had outgrown his stutter but when he was nervous, it came back.

Seeing him struggle with his words made Maryse’s expression soften. She reached out a hand and Alec instinctively tensed, afraid she would hit him again. Instead she softly stroked his cheek and he couldn’t help but eagerly lean into the soft touch, craving any affection she was willing to offer.

“Only your father and I will care for you. Only **we** really love you,” Maryse said softly, her voice kind and loving now.

When she withdrew her hand from his face, Alec had a determined look in his eyes. He was not going to disappoint again. He would make them proud.

“I….I want to stay,” Alec said softly, his voice filled with fear of rejection as he looked from his father to his mother.

“Really?” Robert questioned.

“Please,” Alec added, blushing at how desperate and needy he sounded.

“Very well,” Maryse said with an overbearing sigh, making Alec smile relieved. Then her expression hardened as she added, “But then you will also do what you are told and take the punishment you are due for your actions. Understand?”

Alec nodded, fighting down his fear at the mention of punishment. He was a Lightwood. He would face the consequences of his decisions.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he promised.

“I can disregard your association with the Warlock as long as you are discreet. But don’t come running to me when he dumps you like I cautioned you he will,” Maryse warned him.

Alec’s heart sank at the words, fear and doubt again plaguing him. However, a part of him was rejoicing. He had been allowed to keep seeing Magnus; the very thought made his heart sing.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said softly, lowering his gaze to the floor, blushing in embarrassment.

“Alexander, look at me,” Maryse ordered sharply.

Alec’s eyes flew up at once, giving her his full attention. “Yes, mother?”

“You know your father and I love you. We are doing this because we care,” Maryse said intensely, scanning his face for his reaction.

Alec sank, nodding, feeling warmth wash over him at her words. He would never fail them again. He swore it. He would be good; he would do as he was told.

“I know,” he reassured her, smiling at the words that meant so much to him.

“We are the only ones who truly care for you. The Warlock…he will use you for his own ends and you will be an outcast among Shadowhunters,” Maryse warned him, her voice dark and icy.

“He’s already an outcast. This kiss will be the talk of Idris,” Robert reminded his wife. He then turned his attention to his son, giving him a warning look as he added, “You will be scorned and ridiculed for the rest of your life for your decision to kiss this…being in public like that.”

Alec fought not to show his fear at that prospect. He had done what he had felt was right. Now he would have to live with the consequences.

“I know,” he said quietly.

“You never were all that bright but you used to at least obey. Try to look more to Jace in the future. He knows how to behave like a proper Shadowhunter,” Maryse scowled.

Alec fought to keep the pain from his eyes, knowing she was right. Jace was the perfect Shadowhunter in every way. He lit up any room he entered; he was like gold and sunshine.

“Yes, ma’am,” Alec said meekly, looking down to hide his self-hatred at his own inadequacy.

“And when this stupidity with the Warlock is over I will set you up with a nice Shadowhunter girl from a good family and you will marry her, make babies and do what you are meant to do. Understand?” Maryse said harshly.

“Yes, ma’am,” Alec agreed, fighting down the hurt and fear at her words. “ **If** it ends,” he added with an unusual amount of self-confidence.

“ **When** it ends, Alexander,” Maryse said knowingly. “Seriously, look at yourself. Do you really think he would want **you** for the rest of your life? How stupid can you get? You are **not** the one anyone notices in a room; that would be Jace. You are not all that handsome, you are not that bright and you are in every way, sadly for your father and me, very ordinary and plain. A Warlock like Magnus, a Prince of Edom….while I hate the man with everything in me I admire him too. He has power and charisma. You? You have none of his flair,” Maryse said cruelly.

Alec sank, knowing she was right. He couldn’t fault her for saying the truth even though it hurt worse than any hit he had ever taken.

“I know,” Alec said so softly it was barely auditable, looking down again, unable to meet her eyes.

“Anyway, I must return to the guests and try and save whatever I can from this disaster,” Maryse said briskly as she started to walk towards the door. When she had her hand on the door handle, she looked over her shoulder at Alec.

“I will send you the details regarding when it is convenient for the Institute for you to take the punishment with the Agony rune. We first need this disaster you have made of Joselyn Fairchild’s disappearance resolved,” Maryse warned him, her voice businesslike.

Alec sank in fear at the coming punishment but forced himself to appear calm.

“Yes, mother,” he acknowledged.

“I will join you shortly,” Robert promised his wife.

“Make him understand just how disappointed we are,” Maryse ordered.

“I will,” Robert assured her.

“Good,” she said with a dark smile as she lifted the runes from the door and existed, drawing locking and silencing runes again on the outside of the door. The runes could be unlocked from both sides of the door, giving Robert and Alec some needed privacy.

For a few moments Alec and Robert simply looked at each other, Alec growing increasingly more nervous, knowing punishment was coming.

“Alexander, get the crop for me. It should still be where it has always been,” Robert finally spoke with deadly calm, taking off his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

 _Fuck_ , Alec thought, fighting down his rising fear. He had always hated the pain and humiliation of a caning but he guessed that was why his father had chosen it.

“Yes, Sir,” he said dutifully, meekly, as he went to the bookshelves furthest away from the door and as always; the crop was right under the selves on the floor; where it had always been, where he had fetched it for his father so many times before when he had been called to this office for punishments in the past.

He slowly started to walk over to his father with it, aware his hands were shaking and fighting to control it, not wanting Robert to see.

“Alexander, you are stalling. Bring it here,” Robert ordered sharply, his anger still calm and even as always.

His order made Alec pick up the pace.

“Here, Sir,” Alec said as he handed it over, relieved when Robert didn’t mention that his hand was shaking.

Robert weighted the crop in his hand, feeling the weight, getting the balance right. It had after all been a while since he had last punished Alec like this and he had only ever used it on Alec. He would never lay a hand on Isabelle, his princess, his beautiful daughter. And Jace; he was everything Robert had always wanted in a son. Strong and calm, brave and with a charisma that stole the whole room. Jace had been the best warrior since he had come to stay with him at age 10, much better than Alec or other older Shadowhunters. He had never needed any punishment and if Isabelle or Jace had ever disobeyed orders Alec had happily taken the punishment for them, being the oldest and later the leader of their small team.

“Take off your shirt and go face the wall,” Robert ordered calmly, nodding towards the wall behind him. “Hands on the wall.”

“Yes, Sir,” Alec said softly, his hands still shaking, his fear making his breathing ragged.

He mechanically took of his jacket, putting it over the back of a chair and then his butterfly and shirt, also laying them over the back of the chair. Now naked from the waist up he felt humiliated and exposed as he walked to face the wall and took up the required and after years of punishments, very familiar position, palms on the wall, arching his back slightly to give Robert as large a target as possible.

“Now, Alexander, you know I don’t like hurting you,” Robert reminded him as he stood behind him, feeling the crop in his hands, deciding in his head where to land the first hit for maximum effect. “If you didn’t screw up we wouldn’t have to find ourselves back here all the time.”

“Yes, father,” Alec said softly, his voice shaking slightly in fear and anticipation of the coming pain.

“You are my son and I love you but it is also my place, my responsibility, to show you right from wrong. You understand that, don’t you?” Robert asked, his voice almost kind.

Alec nodded, fighting to hold back tears, feeling his heart swell at his words of love even as he blushed in embarrassment at being reminded of his failure.

“Yes, father,” he got out, a lump in his throat.

“I will give you 70 lashes. I will use iratzes afterwards because you wouldn’t be able to move otherwise,” Robert informed him, his voice matter of fact.

“70?” Alec repeated, his voice shaking, his face pale in fear. How was he to survive 70? Robert had at most done 50 in the past and the pain had been excruciating beyond words.

“I can easily make it 100,” Robert warned.

Alec sank and quickly shook his head. “No, 70 sounds very reasonable, father.”

“Good,” Robert said in approval. “Now, I will activate your stamina rune to ensure you will stay conscious for the duration of the punishment as well as your strength rune so you can stay upright,” Robert continued as he took his steele from his pocket and activated the two runes on Alec’s torso before putting it back in his pocket.

“Thank you, father,” Alec got out, fighting to get his fear under control.

“I want you to count each hit and contemplate the decisions that has lead you here,” Robert ordered.

“Yes, father,” Alec promised, his voice clearly shaking now despite Alec’s best attempts to prevent it.

“Brace yourself,” Robert warned as he raised his arm for the first hit.

Alec tried not to tense; it hurt more when he tensed. Yet still he tensed and the crop fell harshly over his lower back, making him fight to keep a whimper of pain in.

“One,” he got out, the mark from the chop already aching. However, it was quickly forgotten when the next stroke fell, tearing into his skin, this time managing to break it, letting a small line of blood appear on his back.

“Two,” Alec said in a tense voice, starting to sweat from the strain, biting his lip until it started to bleed to stop himself from voicing his pain.

Alec had almost reached 20 before his whispered moans of pain became so loud there was no doubt Robert could hear them. He was at 30 when he was outright screaming after each hit. At 50 he was fighting not to beg his father to please stop. At 60 he was borderline delirious and **was** without knowing it repeating the word ‘please’ over and over again. When he finally said 70 nothing existed in this world for him except blood and agony, the pain so blinding it had invaded his brain, his soul and his very essence.

“I will deactivate the stamina and strength runes now,” Robert said, sounding out of breath from the power he had put into each hit.

His voice sounded far away to Alec. His brain was fuzzy from pain and he wasn’t quite sure why he was in so much pain, why he had to keep standing or why he had had to keep counting, just knowing it was vital he did.

“Fuck!” Alec yelled in pure agony when he collapsed to the floor as soon as the two runes were deactivated, every part of him hurting, flames of pure agony running through his body.

He was vaguely aware he was sitting in something warm and sticky; small pools of red blood had gathered from the wounds that had opened on his back. He had a vague hysterical moment of thinking he was happy his pants were dark black as any blood on them would be almost invisible. He felt dots appear before his eyes and eagerly tried to chase them into oblivion and escape from the agony his body was in.

“Oh, no, you don’t! We don’t have time for that,” Robert said harshly, seeing Alec’s eyes start to roll to the back of his head, indicating he was about to pass out.

Robert roughly pulled Alec’s right arm up and drew the first iratze on it. At once the fires of agony running through Alec’s body lessened enough for him not to pass out but still be in excruciating pain.

“Thanks,” Alec got out through broken lips, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Robert didn’t reply but just pulled harshly at his right arm again and drew several more iratze and Alec sighed in relief as the pain faded more and more. Then Robert stood away from him and pocketed his steele.

“Now, enough of this nonsense. Stand up,” he ordered sharply.

Alec fought to obey, having to use the wall for support but soon he was on his feet. He took a deep breath, feeling pain running through him, fighting to keep it down and not show it on his face.

“Father, I still feel pain,” Alec said huskily, thinking he would want to make sure no one else would notice.

Corporal punishment for children was normal in Idris but it was also considered a strictly private matter, which shouldn’t be shared with outsiders.

“I know but you are not bleeding and the wounds have closed. Leave it. You can take it, right?” Robert said as he crossed his arms over his chest, giving him a forceful look.

Alec fought down his disappointment at the knowledge that the pain would stay. However, he couldn’t help but feel proud that his father was certain he could take it. It made him determined to prove that he could. It wasn’t that bad.

“Yes, father,” Alec reassured him, fighting to sound strong and sure.

“Good, well done,” Robert praised.

Alec was now smiling openly at the praise. His parents offered him so little praise he eagerly leapt at anything they offered when he did get it.

“Thank you, father,” Alec said gratefully.

“Go on now,” Robert ordered, waving towards the door.

Alec went to get dressed, fighting not to wince at the pain at doing so. There was a mirror in the office and he adjusted his clothes and looked at himself. He looked pale and his lips red were and swollen but if he could just fight down the urge to wince whenever he moved no one would be any the wiser regarding the agony he had just suffered through.

When Magnus finally saw Alec again out in the hallway of the Institute he looked tense and pale. Magnus asked how his parents had taken it and when Alec tried to say they would never forgive him Magnus quickly reassured him that parents always loved their children and surely would. He noticed the slight wince Alec made at his words and he saw how he tensed when he squeezed his arm reassuringly. He was suddenly filled with doubt. His doubt got worse when he noticed spots on Alec’s black dress pants that he hadn’t seen before. Was that…. blood? It couldn’t be. Could it?

For Alec’s sake he hadn’t wanted to say anything about Maryse and Robert. He knew they had been in the Circle. Maryse had been Valentine’s right hand woman and she had been ruthless; as cruel and vindictive as Valentine himself had always been. Robert, as always, had just followed her around. Magnus had no high thoughts regarding any of them, but had tried not to mention it out of respect for Alec.

Observing Alec now Magnus wasn’t unsure if that had been the right approach. He had wanted to believe that when it came to their kids Robert and Maryse had been different. That it was only Downworlders they hated. Seeing the lines of pain in Alec’s face and the slight wince whenever he moved Magnus wasn’t sure he should have made that assumption. He mentally made a note of asking Alec about it next time they were alone.

When Jace, Isabelle and Clary joined them and they restarted the search for Clary’s mother and Valentine Magnus noticed Alec’ made great effect to hide the signs of his distress from the others. Despite this, Magnus noticed and he worried. He vowed to find the underlying cause of this and ensure that whoever had hurt Alec, no matter who it had been, would be punished and to see Alec safe. He knew he hadn’t known Alec for long but he couldn’t deny his desire or need to protect him and see him safe.

Alec needed someone to care for him and Magnus wanted to show him that he could be that person; that he wanted to be that person. It was obvious Alec always cared for others; it was time someone cared for him for once.

The end

  * Continues in part 4 of “Let’s Talk About Alec"



**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and kudos is loved and motivates me to continue this series so if you enjoyed it please let me know. Thanks so much!  
> I will delete comments that are not directly related to this story or which are people attacking me or each other. Stop that! I am way too old for that bullshit! This is NOT kindergarten and my comments section is NOT the place for anyone to try and start a new flame war in this fandom! There has already been way too much toxicity and fandom policing in this fandom; let's not start THAT disaster again.  
> I have now disabled anon comments as some people couldn't play nice in the sandbox.


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